TECHNICAL STANDARD
SSPC-SP 16
Brush-Off Blast Cleaning of Coated and Uncoated Galvanized Steel, Stainless Steels, and Non-Ferrous Metals
AMPP / SSPC
2020
Current
WHAT DOES THIS STANDARD COVER?
Defines a brush-off blast-cleaning end condition for coated or uncoated metallic substrates other than carbon steel, including galvanized steel, stainless steel and certain non-ferrous metals.
WHY IS IT RELEVANT?
Useful where abrasive preparation of these substrates is specified before coating or recoating. Do not treat SSPC-SP 16 as the carbon-steel equivalent of SSPC-SP 7.
KEY INSPECTION CONSIDERATIONS
The standard addresses brush-off blast cleaning of coated and uncoated galvanized steel, stainless steel and non-ferrous metals. These substrates should be considered differently from ordinary carbon steel. The objective includes achieving an appropriately cleaned and roughened surface without unnecessarily damaging the substrate. Abrasive selection, blasting technique and substrate characteristics are relevant considerations.
WHAT THE STANDARD SHOULD NOT BE USED TO ASSUME
SSPC-SP 16 should not be treated as equivalent to SSPC-SP 7 for carbon steel. Galvanized, stainless and non-ferrous substrates can respond differently to abrasive cleaning and may be susceptible to damage or contamination from unsuitable methods or abrasives. Visual appearance alone does not necessarily establish appropriate surface roughening. Coating manufacturer preparation requirements remain important.
PRACTICAL INSPECTION APPLICATION
The standard can support inspection of surface preparation on galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminium and other applicable non-ferrous substrates. Inspectors can confirm the specified preparation method, abrasive and coating-system requirements and assess cleanliness, surface roughening and evidence of substrate damage. Other specified contamination and environmental controls should be considered separately.
RELATED TECHNICAL TOPICS
Surface preparation; Galvanized steel; Stainless steel
RELATED PIL GUIDANCE
A structured approach to investigating protective coating failure through evidence, testing, sampling and project-record review.
Laser cleaning can remove coatings and corrosion, but the resulting surface must still be inspected and verified against the proposed coating system and project requirements.
RELATED EXPERTISE
Coating Inspection; Technical Consultancy
ABOUT THIS TECHNICAL SUMMARY
Paint Inspection Ltd provides this information to help inspectors, engineers, asset owners and contractors understand the practical relevance of commonly referenced protective coatings standards. This page is PIL technical guidance and does not reproduce or replace the published standard. Users should refer to the current published standard, project specification, coating manufacturer requirements and other applicable contract documents when establishing project requirements or acceptance criteria.
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OFFICIAL STANDARD
PIL technical summaries are intended to explain the inspection relevance of industry standards and do not replace the published document.
STATUS AND SOURCE VERIFICATION
Official AMPP catalogue reference URL recorded in the PIL Standards Library. CMS designation, title and edition are retained from the existing controlled record. Current publisher edition/status was not independently re-confirmed during the 2026-09-23 source-verification exercise and remains subject to future PIL review against the official AMPP catalogue.